The Butterfly Effect
by Lily-Starbuck
Summary: Some one has tampered with the past, removing Scully from the present. Can Mulder fix it before the changes become permanent? Not the best summary.
1. Chapter 1

The yellow school bus rolled to a halt at its stop. About ten teenagers, boys and girls, bustled off amidst a cloud of laughter and friendly chatter. She was last off, managing to step onto the curb just as the doors shut behind her with a loud whoosh of air. Sighing she readjusted her rucksack on her shoulder and began walking, hugging her folder and book to her chest.

She walked homeward as she always did, on autopilot. Her body knew where it was going so her mind didn't need to engage in the task of direction. It could wonder and drift freely, flowing wherever random thoughts took her. It was a cold day. Grey. January. But what was the date? 23rd. She smiled slightly to herself. In exactly a month it would be her birthday. Sixteen. Maybe then her parents would stop treating her like a child. She exited the alleyway and pulled her coat tighter round her as a blast of icy air hit her.

Maine was always bitterly cold in winter, she'd learnt that in the short time they'd lived there, but Portland was doubly cold, being on the coast. She continued her journey along the road, only half aware of the cars that passed her. The wind picked up again for a moment, sending a chill through her body and a piece of Titian hair across her deep, azure eyes. It was quickly brushed aside with a simple gesture of a gloved hand. She slowed slightly, turning down the short dirt track that led to her house. She reached her front door and fumbled in her pocket for her key. She turned suddenly at a sound behind her, only to realize it was a bird. Shaking her head at her own paranoia she withdrew her key from her coat pocket and slipped it easily into the lock, opening the door.

She stepped inside, her mind wandering again to her Trigonometry homework that was due in for the next day. Her mind was jolted quickly back to reality as strong arms grabbed her from behind. She opened her mouth to scream but was silenced by a hand clamping down over her mouth. She was roughly shoved into the house and the door slammed loudly, the only sound breaking the otherwise peaceful afternoon.

Special Agent Fox Mulder was wrenched from the comforts of slumber by music yelling at him from his clock radio. Slowly he opened one sleepy hazel eye and focused on the red LCD display glaring at him from his bedside table. 6:01 am. He groaned slightly as he lifted his head from the comfort of his pillow and pulled himself into a sitting position on the edge of his bed. After a few moments he stood up, shaking his head to clear it and remove the last groggy remnants of sleep before crossing his bedroom and entering the bathroom.

Exactly one hour later he stepped out of the elevator in the basement of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building.

"Home sweet home," He muttered to himself as he walked down the corridor, stopping at a door with his name on it. He smiled slightly to himself. Six years and she still didn't have her name on the door. He made a mental note to do something about that... soon. He placed a hand on the door knob and turned it to open the door. He was a little surprised when he met resistance.

He fished in his pocket for the keys before unlocking the door, letting it swing open as he flipped on the light and stooped to pick up the mail. He straightened, surveying the office that lay out before him. It looked just as it always did. The coat stand by the door, with the MENCAP hat perched on top, filing cabinets full to bursting with files, the crammed pin board, the 'I Want To Believe' poster boldly prominent; two desks, one noticeably neater than the other.

But this morning something wasn't quite right, and it wasn't just his partner's unprecedented lateness. Mulder couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was amiss. Shrugging off his coat and telling himself he was being paranoid and, had his partner been there she would've told him the same thing, Mulder sat down at his desk and flipped on his computer, ready for anything the day might throw at him.


	2. Chapter 2

About a half hour later Mulder looked up from the file he was reading at the sound of the elevator doors ping open, followed by the sound of heels clicking along the corridor. He smiled to himself, his mind already preparing a number of teasing remarks he could make about her as yet unexplained lateness. He knew she'd have a good excuse, probably traffic; it was a bitch from Georgetown at this time of morning. Add to that an accident and you had a recipe for disaster and a very pissed off partner. Either that or she'd had to detour to Quantico to drop off an autopsy report. His train of thought was interrupted by someone coming through the door.

He smiled and prepared to deliver his first remark about her lateness when he realized that the person who had walked through the door was not the person he'd been expecting. This woman was tall, around 5"9, with short blond hair and green eyes. She turned to him as she shrugged off her coat and smiled slightly, placing her coat on the stand. Mulder watched in amazement as the woman crossed the room and sat down at the other desk, flipping on the computer with a slightly agitated sigh. Finally she spoke, a slight Southern twang accenting her voice.

"Sorry I'm late. Skinner grabbed me and gave me an earful about you not having your report in on time. I told him you'd have it on his desk by the end of the day. I presume you've done it?" He blinked, gobsmacked. Who the hell was this woman? After a beat he found his voice.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The woman smiled.

"Are you feeling alright Mulder?"

"Yes I'm fine, but that still doesn't explain who you are, or what you're doing here."

"I work here! Seriously Mulder, have you hit your head again or something?" Mulder wasn't quite sure what to say. He glanced at the door, praying for Scully to walk through it and sort this thing out.

"Um no you don't. I work here with another agent, Agent Scully. She'll be here any minute, she must be running late." At this the woman laughed out loud. All Mulder could do was stare at her, bewildered.

"I've worked here on the X-Files with you for six years Mulder, and I've never heard of an Agent Scully. I think you're delirious."

"Look will you at least tell me your name?" Off her look he continued. "Please, just humor me?"

"Ok, to humor you, my name is Special Agent Frankie DuCain. I was assigned to you... Hey!" But Mulder was already out the door and down the hall. He was seething. If Skinner was going to split he and Scully up surely he had a right to be told first? And why hadn't Scully told him? And where the hell was she? A thousand and one thoughts ran through his mind as he rode the elevator and walked the short distance to Skinner's office. His secretary was behind her desk, typing something on her computer. She looked up, startled as he stormed in.

"Agent Mulder..." she began but he stopped her before she could say anymore, his tone begging no arguments.

"Is he in?" She simply nodded. "Hold his calls." Mulder then opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Skinner's head jerked up at Mulder's sudden and unannounced entrance. He regained his composure immediately.

"What the hell is the meaning of this Agent Mulder?"

"Why? Why spilt us up? What did we do to piss off the powers that be this time? Did we get too close again or what? And why wasn't I told? I have to find out from my new 'partner' What have you done with Scully? Is she back at Quantico, is that why she'd not here today?" Skinner stared at him, his brow furrowed with confusion.

"Mulder what the hell are you talking about? Agent DuCain has been your partner for the past six years." At this Mulder slammed his hands down on the desk, causing Skinner to jump.

"No she's not. I don't even know her! I haven't met her before today! My partner for the past six years has been Special Agent Dana Scully. Dana Scully." He repeated her name for added effect.

"What are you talking about Agent? I've never heard of an Agent Scully." Mulder couldn't help but laugh slightly at this.

"Of course you know her! We've been the collective pain in your backside for the past six years!" On seeing Skinner's blank expression Mulder continued, trying really hard not to lose his temper completely. What the hell was going on? "She's about 5"3, slim build, auburn hair, blue eyes, very pretty." Skinner sighed, removing his glasses and standing to walk over to the younger man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know this last case has been hard for you. It must've dredged up a lot of emotions connecting to your sister's disappearance, but concocting this story about an 'Agent Scully' isn't going to relieve that. I think you should go home. Take the rest of the day off and relax. Take your mind off work."

"I'm not making her up!" Mulder lowered his voice slightly as Skinner's secretary entered the room. "I'll prove it to you." He dug in his pocket for a second before producing his wallet. He opened it and produced a photo of him and Scully. It had been taken on his birthday one year. He'd been feeling down but she'd still insisted that they go out and celebrate. It had turned out to be one of the best nights of his life. Triumphantly he handed the picture to Skinner for him to look at, which he did.

"I don't know what this is supposed to prove Agent," he replied, handing it back to him. "It's a picture of you and your mother." Shaking his head Mulder looked down at the photo in his hand. Sure enough it was a picture of him and his mother, on his birthday.

"But I don't understand," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. "Where is she?"

"Go home Mulder," Skinner replied gently, placing a hand on his shoulder and ushering him out of the room. Mulder went, too bewildered to resist. He walked slowly down the corridor, slipping the photo back into his wallet. Why was Skinner acting like Scully had never existed? And he wasn't even going to try and explain the photograph. He was passing the computer room on his way back to the elevator to take Skinner's advice when an idea struck him.

He entered the room and shut the door with a click behind him. Holly, the girl behind the desk looked up and smiled at him as he crossed over toward her.

"Good morning Agent Mulder. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to do a search for me. I'm looking for a someone."

"Another agent?"

"Yeah. Special Agent Dana Scully." Obediently she typed in the name before hitting search. After a few moments she turned to him.

"Sorry Agent Mulder, there's no one here by the name Dana Scully. I can't find any record of her ever working here. Are you sure that's the right name?"

"I'm sure. That can't be possible." He straightened up and walked towards the door.

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help," Holly called after him as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Something weird was going on, of that he was now certain. How could there be no record of Scully ever having worked for the FBI? It was crazy. Mulder mused as he drove. What the hell could be going on? He'd detoured to Quantico on his way home and gone down to Pathology. But, again, no one had ever heard of an Agent Scully when he asked for her. One thing was for sure, he was going to get to the bottom of it. He pulled up outside the apartment building, killing the engine before stepping out of the car.

He shut and locked the car, then went inside. He took the stairs up to her floor, approaching her apartment. Number 35. He knocked sharply. Maybe Scully herself would be able to tell him what the hell was up with everyone. He was just about to knock again when the door swung open, and a brunette woman holding a baby answered. She smiled at him before speaking.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh yes. I'm looking for Dana Scully. Is she in?"

"I'm sorry, there's no Dana Scully here, you must have the wrong apartment."

"I don't think so. She's a friend of mine, she's lived here for about 8 years I think."

"I've lived here for eleven years and I can assure you, no one by the name of Dana Scully has lived here. I'm sorry I couldn't help you." She smiled again apologetically before shutting the door gently, leaving Mulder standing there more confused than ever. For a minute or so he stood there, not knowing what to do. This was starting to scare him now. Then he realized what to do. He dashed out of the building and jumped into his car, speeding off down the street.

About ten minutes later he was hammering on the door. There was the sound of many locks being undone before the door swung open. Not waiting for a greeting from the occupant Mulder stepped inside.

"Guys I need your help."

"Nice to see you too buddy. Why don't you come in?" Melvin Frohike grumbled as he closed the door.

"Sorry Frohike, but this is really important."

"What do you need?" John Byers stepped out from behind a console.

"I need you to help me get some information. Scully's gone missing and everyone is acting like she doesn't exist. There's no record of her at the Bureau and there's some strange woman living in her apartment. I need you to help me find her." The men looked at him strangely.

"Is he drunk?" Richard Langley asked, stepping up to join his two friends.

"I don't think so," Frohike replied. "Could be drugs though."

"We'll help you buddy, but who is Scully? And why is it so important you find him?" Byers spoke up.

"Not you guys too! She's my partner, I've brought her here, you know her! Frohike, you've got a major crush on her."

The shorter man shrugged. "Sorry man, I think I'd remember her if I had a crush on her."

"Never mind," Mulder replied. He was getting seriously tired of having this conversation with everyone. "Just do a search on her. Dana Katherine Scully. Anything and everything you can find. I need to sit down." He walked over to the couch in the corner of the room, flopping down heavily onto it. This was a seriously weird day.

A while later Langley spoke up.

"Hey buddy I think I've found your girl." Mulder jumped up and walked over to the computer. At last! Something that proved she existed. By the time her reached the computer, Byers and Frohike were already crowded round it.

"First I did a search of births, marriages and deaths. The name Dana Katherine Scully appears twice. Once in the birth records," he clicked with the mouse and a copy of a birth certificate came up. Mulder scanned the information. Dana Katherine Scully. Born February 23rd 1964. Mother Margaret Scully. Father William Scully Snr.

"Yeah, that checks. You said she was mentioned twice?" Langley nodded.

"Once in births and once in deaths."


	4. Chapter 4

"What! That can't be right! She's alive, I saw her yesterday."

"I don't know what to tell you man," Langley replied, clicking once more with the mouse. This time a copy of a death certificate, signed by a coroner, filled the screen. Mulder's eyes scanned the information. Name, date of birth, father and mother's names were all correct. The date of death was listed as January 23rd 1980. Mulder shook his head.

"That's not right. I knew her as a woman. This girl died when she was 15." Langley shrugged.

"I did some more checking, searching for any information I could about Dana Scully and I found this." Another click of the mouse brought up a newspaper article with an accompanying picture.

Mulder leaned over to get a better look at the picture. It was of a girl, she wasn't more than fifteen or sixteen. Her auburn hair was up in a pony tail. She was stood in front of a tree laughing. But Mulder couldn't deny that it was Scully. The eyes, the face were exactly the same, except younger looking. Mulder's eyes, meanwhile scanned the rest of the screen and the article.

His face fell when he read the headline. 'Local teenager brutally murdered.' The second heading read 'Police still searching for killer.' Mulder skimmed through the story; killed in her home, killer stabbed her twice in the stomach and chest before slitting her throat, found by her brother Charlie and sister Melissa who came home an hour later. Mulder closed his eyes. He couldn't read anymore.

"We're sorry man. Did you know her?" Langley offered. Mulder simply shook his head.

"This isn't right, this never happened. I knew her. But not as a girl as a woman. You three knew her. She's my partner at the FBI. She, she..." He couldn't find the words. How was this happening? There had to be some kind of mistake. He knew one person who would know for sure. Without another word to the Gunmen, Mulder left the apartment.

Pulling up outside the house, Mulder killed the engine and stepped out of the car. He walked up the gravel path to the front door and pressed the bell. A few moments later the door swung open. He blinked, shocked when he saw who was standing there.

"Can I help you?" Melissa Scully asked, leaning slightly against the door jam. Mulder decided against the approach he'd taken with Skinner and the Gunmen, that had proved more trouble than it was worth. He was going to have to think on his feet.

"Yes, my name is Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI." He pulled out his badge and showed it to her. "Would it be possible to speak with Mrs Scully?"

"Sure, come in." She withdrew to let him enter, shutting the door behind him. She walked through the house and out into the garden. Mulder followed her obediently, still shocked at seeing her again, though he hid it well. His thoughts were broken by Melissa's voice. "Mom? There's someone here to see you." Turning to Mulder, she continued. "Can I ask what this is about?" Before he had a chance to reply her face changed and she spoke again.

"This is about Dana isn't it? I can feel it." By now Mrs Scully had walked over from where she'd been weeding and smiled at Mulder, speaking before he had a chance to respond to Melissa's last question.

"Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Mrs Scully, I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI..." Mrs Scully stopped him before he could continue.

"Is it about Dana? Is that why you're here?" The only thing Mulder could think of to say was yes. He wanted to find out as much about this as he could, then figure out how the hell this was happening.

"The case has been passed on to the Bureau and I'm in charge of it now. Mrs Scully, if it's not too painful, could you explain to me everything that happened?" The older woman nodded, gesturing for him to follow her inside. They walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, Melissa positioning herself beside her mother.

"Now Mrs Scully, if it's possible, could you tell me everything about the day that... it happened?" Mulder didn't know how else to say it; the whole experience was too bizarre.

Mrs Scully nodded and took a moment before she started to speak.

"It was January 23rd. Exactly a month before Dana's sixteenth birthday. I was out that afternoon, I'd told her that morning that I would be. I'd offered to help at our local church. It was redecorating after a terrible fire. Melissa told Dana that she'd be home late as well. She had to go to the library to do some research and was going to wait for Charlie, their younger brother, after his soccer practice. So the children left for school and I worked around the house till about 1:30 before leaving to go to the church. A neighbor offered to give me a ride. I was there all afternoon until I got the call from the police at about 6..."

At this point Mrs Scully's voice broke. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself and then continued. "I went home straight away to find the place swarming with police. Then a detective came over and told me that my baby girl was dead." Her voice broke completely then and she began to cry. Melissa placed an arm around her mother's shoulders, trying her best to comfort her. Mrs Scully then looked up from the table and fixed her eyes with Mulder's, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Eighteen years on and the pain is still exactly the same as the day that detective told me." She excused herself before standing and walking out of the room, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Melissa remained seated, the emotion evident on her face. After a minute or two of silence she spoke.

"I suppose you'll want to talk to me," she stated simply, her eyes staring straight ahead. Mulder cleared his throat slightly before replying; Mrs Scully's emotional account had gotten to him more than he would've liked.

"Yes, please. If you're up to it. I realize this must be very painful for you, having to go over it all again." She smiled weakly.

"It starts out pretty much the same as my mom's account. Until after school. I met my brother Charlie outside school at about 4:30. Soccer practice had just finished. We walked to the bus stop and caught the 4:42 bus home. It stops a little way up from our house so we walked from the stop. When we got home we noticed how quiet it was, which was strange. We knew D was..." She paused a second, realizing she'd used her sister's nickname and smiled sadly before correcting herself and continuing.

"We knew Dana was home so we were surprised that we couldn't hear music coming from her bedroom. She always had to have music on. She thought the house was too quiet without it. And she was right. We opened the door and went inside and the first thing we noticed was that the table in the hall had been broken. We walked along the hall and into the living room. Things were broken and knocked over. Then Charlie noticed the blood. There was a trail on the carpet leading to behind the couch. There was even some smeared up a wall.

We walked behind the couch and found her lying there. Her throat was cut and there was blood everywhere, all over the carpet, all over her sweater and on her face. There was some in her hair as well as her jeans. I didn't know what else to do so I phoned for an ambulance. It showed up about 10 minutes later with a police car. They pronounced her dead at the scene. That's all I know."

At some point while she'd been speaking Melissa had started crying, but her voice hadn't altered in the slightest. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand before she spoke again. "She was my baby sister Agent Mulder, and some monster stole her from us. She'd planned to become a doctor after she graduated high school. She never even got to go to her prom. Please promise me you'll try and get to the bottom of this. Please. My mother needs some closure, as do the rest of the family. Our father died a few years ago never knowing who was responsible for the death of his little girl. I don't want the same thing to happen to my mother."

"I will try my very hardest." Mulder stood up to leave. He couldn't stay there anymore, he had to get out. The grief in the house was choking him. "I will keep you updated on my investigations," he threw over his shoulder as he left the house, before climbing back into his car and heading home.

What the hell had happened here? Everyone believing Scully was dead, Melissa being alive. It was too confusing to even comprehend. As he drove it suddenly hit him how much he was missing Scully being there with him. If this had been a case she would've been sat next to him in the passenger seat of the car, discussing with him the events that had just unfolded in the house.

Instead he was riding alone in the car, and it had been her family he'd seen. A wave of sadness swept over him as he realized just how much he took her for granted. He was so sure that she would always be there that it seemed incomprehensible that she might not be. He had to get to the bottom of this.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the drive back to his apartment had been spent mulling over everything he'd learnt, trying to come to some kind of conclusion as to how this had happened, but every idea that ran through his mind was instantly dismissed. He tried to imagine what Scully would say if she'd been there to hear his ideas. Probably the same thing he was telling himself, that every one of them was impossible, that there was no way any of them were even remotely plausible. By this time he'd reached his apartment door. It startled him slightly to think that he hadn't even noticed he was home; he was so consumed by his thoughts. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and flipped on the lights. Only they didn't come on. He tried again, still nothing. Sighing loudly he shut his door and made his way through his dark apartment. He had just reached his desk when a voice from behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"So sorry to hear about your partner." Mulder shook his head. There was no way... It couldn't be. He was dead. But then again, so was Melissa Scully. Slowly Mulder turned around to face the owner of the voice. He was shrouded in shadows; Mulder couldn't get a clear look at his face.

"My partner?"

"Agent Scully." With this the speaker stepped out of the shadows. Mulder's suspicions were confirmed and his mouth dropped open in shock.

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I know it's short but I wanted to build suspense lol.


	6. Chapter 6

X walked towards him, reached past him and flipped on the lamp before settling himself on the couch.

"You know what happened to her?"

"Of course. She was killed as a teenager in her home in Portland, Maine. A month before her sixteenth birthday. Such a shame." This angered Mulder.

"That's not what I meant and you know it now cut the crap. I've had a seriously bad day so I'm warning you, don't piss me off." Mulder paused for a second, reality hitting him. "How the hell are you even here?"

"By the same means that Agent Scully isn't," X replied. "Someone has been having a little fun with the past at your expense, and it's affected the present. In other words, somebody rigged it so that your partner's killer was in the neighborhood when she was home alone. Which in turn, meant that her sister was never shot." Mulder lunged toward X and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up from his sitting position.

"If you've got something to do with this so help me God I'll kill you. And this time you'll stay dead do you understand?" X didn't so much as flinch at Mulder's actions.

"Believe me Agent Mulder killing me would not be in your best interest right now, if you ever want to get things back to how they were and see your partner again. I assure you, while I do know myself who is responsible for this I play no part in it." After a moment's pause X continued. "Besides, once you've fixed the past and the present is back how it should be, I will go back to being very much dead. Now if you'll let go of me, we need to get started. We don't have much time to save your partner." Slowly, still not sure of him, Mulder released his grip around X's throat before sinking down onto the couch, placing his head in his hands.

"Self pity is a luxury that we don't have time for Agent Mulder. And neither does your partner." Mulder looked up at X.

"She's still alive?"

"In 1980s Portland, Maine she's still alive. But only for another day. Tomorrow is January 23rd, the nineteenth anniversary of your partner's death. That is the deadline for you to fix things. If she is in that house alone at 4:33 pm tomorrow she will die and you won't have another chance. She will be dead and will stay dead and there will be nothing more you can do. Do you understand me?"

"Not really, but I'll just smile and nod anyway."

"I'm glad you find this funny Agent Mulder, because I doubt Agent Scully will be doing much laughing tomorrow."

"I'm sorry I'm just finding all this a little hard to process. And also I'm finding it hard to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to get to 1980 and prevent this. I don't suppose you've got Doc Brown's telephone number handy do you?" He laughed ruefully.

"I suggest you stop cracking unhelpful jokes and come with me." X walked over to the door and exited the apartment. Mulder grabbed his coat and ran out of the apartment after the other man, shoving his arms into his coat as he ran along the hallway to catch up with X.

"Where are we going?"

"I'll tell you when we get there."


	7. Chapter 7

Mulder jolted awake suddenly. He was in a car. For a moment he thought that the whole thing had been a terrible dream, until he looked over and saw X driving the car. It was just starting to get light. Mulder glanced at the digital clock in the dashboard. 7:03.

"Where are we?"

"Maine," X replied simply. "About an hour away from Portland." Mulder stretched and yawned loudly before rubbing his neck. It was sore, probably from sleeping awkwardly in the car. That was what he thought, however, until his fingertips ran over a small puncture wound in his neck. Rubbing it harder he turned and glared at X.

"You drugged me! Why?"

"You needed to sleep. You've got a very long day ahead of you. You're going to be exhausted by the end of it. And I knew you would never go to sleep willingly so, when you were getting into the car I slipped you an injection of chloral hydrate."

"Gee, I'm so touched that you were thinking of my welfare." Mulder replied sarcastically.

"I wasn't. I was thinking more of Agent Scully. If you're tired you'll get sloppy and mess up." The car remained quiet for a few minutes, the only sound the tires as they ground along the road. Mulder was the first to break the quiet.

"So what's the plan?"

"I was beginning to wonder when you would ask me that," X replied, keeping his eyes glued to the road ahead. "I'll tell you all you need to know when we reach Portland." Once more, silence engulfed the car, and it wasn't broken until they pulled up outside a diner in Portland.

A few minutes later, the pair were sat in a booth, Mulder sipping coffee while X sat opposite. After a while Mulder spoke.

"So? We're in Portland, are you going to tell me 'all I need to know' now?"

"Yes. Agent Mulder, the instructions I am going to give you must be followed to the letter, do you understand?" Mulder nodded his ascent as X continued, passing a piece of paper over the table to Mulder, who unfolded it.

"That is the address of Agent Scully's residence in Portland. You are to arrive there at exactly 3:30 pm this afternoon. You are to take the car and park slightly up the street on the opposite side of the road. Wait there. At 4:01 pm, the man who is going to kill your partner will arrive. This is the man." He passed another piece of paper across the table, which again Mulder accepted. It was a photograph, the man was wiry, in his early 40s with receding blond hair and light brown eyes. He looked very shifty, glancing warily at the camera. X continued talking. "His name is Austin O'Brien. He will be driving a battered, brown 1976 Pontiac and will park directly opposite the dirt track leading to your partner's house. You must get rid him before your partner arrives home at 4:33 pm. He cannot be there, do you understand? But you must. You cannot leave until you have watched her go inside the house and her brother and sister have arrived home. When they have I want you to come back here, I'll be waiting for you and we can leave. Do you understand everything I've said?"

Mulder nodded before asking,

"But what if he goes back later?"

"It won't matter, he'll have missed his only chance. There won't be another," X replied and rose to leave, before Mulder's voice stopped him.

"Wait a second. Scully gets killed in 1980s Portland. This is 1999!" X threw down a newspaper Mulder hadn't even known he'd been holding before walking away and out the door. Picking up the newspaper Mulder glanced at the date and his brow furrowed in confusion. It read January 23rd 1980. Grabbing the car keys X had left on the table and pocketing the photo and piece of paper Mulder headed for the door but stopped before he reached it. Turning on his heel he walked back toward the counter. The waitress behind it looked up as he approached and smiled warmly.

"What can I get you sugar?"

"Uh nothing thank you. Could you tell me what the date is please?"

"Why sure. It's January 23rd."

"And the year?" He flinched as he said this, knowing how crazy he must sound. She looked at him strangely before replying,

"1980."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah," she replied slowly, probably thinking what a wack job he was.

"Thank you," he replied, turning round again and walking out the door, leaving the waitress as confused as he himself was.


	8. Chapter 8

Mulder drove along the road in an ever growing state of bewilderment. How the hell was this happening? He had no idea, and he was pretty sure that X wouldn't be all that forthcoming with an explanation when he met with him later. But he would deal with all of that later. First things first. He glanced at his watch. 12:15 pm. He had just under four hours before he had to be at the address X had given him. He had some time to kill.

He pulled over to the curb and parked his car. He needed to take a walk, clear his head and try to get it around everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours. He sat on a bench overlooking the waterfront, pulling his coat tighter around him as a blast of icy air straight off the sea hit him and went straight through to the bone. As he sat watching the waves lapping against the rocks his mind drifted to Scully. It suddenly occurred to him how much he missed having her around. It was a leaden, empty feeling in the pit of his stomach, the same feeling he'd had during the months she'd been missing four years ago.

He hoped to God everything X had told him would work, because he couldn't imagine going through the rest of his life without her; that notion was as alien to him as not breathing. In a way she was like oxygen to him; essential to his survival. He would be long dead by now had it not been for her. She had risked her career, her life even for him on countless occasions, defended him, supported him every step of the way. And she'd done so without question. She'd always been there for him, personally as well as professionally. And the possibility of failing now and losing her completely scared Mulder beyond belief. He shook his head slightly, reprimanding himself. Failure was not an option.

A crash, followed by a loud thump jolted him from his reverie. He looked up to see a cyclist peddling away furiously.

"Jerk." His gaze shifted downward as he heard this muttered comment. A girl was kneeling on the sidewalk, picking up the books and folder that the cyclist had obviously knocked from her grasp during the collision. Mulder noted that two books had landed by his foot and so bent to pick them up before slipping from the bench to help the girl. He glanced down at one of the books in his hand, noting the title. 'The House of Mirth'.

"Excuse me? I think this is yours." He offered the book toward her. She looked up and smiled at him. There was something familiar about her smile, the way she looked at him, but he shook it off.

"Thanks, I was worried it'd fallen in the water or something. That would've annoyed me even more." He returned her smile at the same time as the book.

"You like it?"

"Yeah," she replied, stuffing a few more of her scattered possessions in her rucksack. "It's my favorite book. I love it."

He smiled, offering her another book, a history text book. She took it gratefully, returning his smile as she zipped up her rucksack and rose to her feet. "Thanks for your help, but I really need to get back to school, otherwise I'll be late for my next class."

"How come you're off site?"

"I had a free period and my brother needed me to pick up some things for him."

"How far is the school from here?"

"Not that far, just down that street over there," she gestured with her arm. She smiled at him, holding his gaze for a moment before walking away.

"Thanks again for your help," she tossed over her shoulder as she crossed the street, making a beeline for the road she'd gestured to seconds earlier. He watched her go, watching the wind as it caught her mid length auburn hair and played with it, tossing it this way and that. He continued to watch till she disappeared from his view before resuming his position on the bench, his mind wandering back to their conversation, the way she'd looked straight into his eyes.

When he thought about it, everything about her had seemed familiar, yet he couldn't place her. With a sigh he rose to his feet, glancing at his watch. It was now 1:03, roughly three hours till show down. He just hoped things would go to plan.


	9. Chapter 9

Mulder looked down at his watch. 4:00 pm. Not long now, he thought to his self. He was parked, as X had told him, a little way up the street on the opposite side to Scully's house. He could see the dirt track leading to the house from his car. With a pensive sigh he grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and began munching on them. The seconds and minutes were dragging on and on; he just wanted it all to be over so he could get back to the future and see Scully again.

The sound of a car approaching made Mulder's head jerk up. His breath caught in his throat. It was a battered brown Pontiac and Mulder would've bet all he owned that it was a 1976 one. He continued to watch as the driver parked, opposite the dirt track, right where X said he would, and killed the engine. Picking up his binoculars from the passenger seat Mulder raised them to his eyes, just as the driver turned round. Mulder glanced down at the photo in his hand and then back through the binoculars.

It was him. Austin O'Brien.

Mulder checked his watch again. 4:22 pm. He had exactly eleven minutes before Scully showed up. He had to act fast. Climbing out of the car, Mulder approached O'Brien. Reaching to car, he tapped on the driver's window. O'Brien's head snapped round to face him. Mulder smiled and unfolded his badge, pressing it against the window before motioning for him to wind it down. O'Brien looked nervous, clearing his throat before he spoke.

"Is there a problem, Sir?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to move along," Mulder replied.

"Why? I'm not breaking any laws am I?" Mulder never missed a beat.

"Actually you are. It's a new idea the Government is experimenting with. No loitering in cars. They're trying it out primarily in this state, if it works they'll expand it to include other states as well. So, if you don't mind, I need you to move along."

Mulder paused a second before adding, "I'm going to be here all afternoon, so if I catch you back here again I will arrest you. Do you understand me?"

O'Brien nodded before rolling up his window and restarting his car. Mulder stood and watched as he pulled away from the curb and drove off down the street, turning a corner and disappearing out of sight. He continued to stand there for a few more minutes, just incase O'Brien was stupid enough to try and come back. When he didn't, Mulder returned to his car and climbed inside.

He glanced at his watch, 4:32 pm. In roughly 30 seconds Scully should arrive home and his task would almost be complete. He looked up just in time to see a figure approaching the house. He watched closely as the figure, hugging a book and folder to its chest, turned down the dirt track and disappeared from view. He knew that it had been Scully, he could tell from the red hair. His task was almost over. Now all he had to do was wait for Melissa and Charlie to show up, then he could meet X and get the hell out of here and back to his time. He just hoped that when he got back, Scully would be there.


	10. Chapter 10

Charlie and Melissa showed up exactly 35 minutes later, just as they were supposed to. He watched them walk along the road and to the dirt track. But just as they were about to turn and walk down it, Melissa paused suddenly and turned to look in his direction. She stared straight at him, a slight look of recognition on her face before turning again to follow her brother down the dirt track and out of view into the house. Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. It'd worked. Now all he needed to do was meet X and get the hell out of there.

On the drive back into town, Mulder contemplated all the events of the past day that had led up to this. It'd had started out as a normal day and then everything had gone to hell. It seemed to him that always happened when she wasn't around; everything suddenly crashed down around his ears if she wasn't there. He couldn't put his finger on exactly why that was, there were a multitude of things that, when you added them all together meant that his world was a much better place with her in it. His photographic memory recalled all the times he'd come so close to losing her completely; there were far too many of them, he realized.

He pressed down a little harder on the gas, suddenly very anxious to meet X and get back to D.C. to see Scully again. A thought hit him suddenly, like lightening. What if it hadn't worked? What if, for some unknown reason, things didn't return to how they'd been before all this? What if he never got to see her again? The mere thought of that occurrence shook him to his very core; it was utterly inconceivable to him, but he still had to face the fact that it was a possibility.

Mulder shook himself free of these thoughts as he pulled into the curb and parked the car outside the diner where X had left him just this morning. Was that all it had been? A mere few hours? It had felt like a lifetime. Climbing out of the car Mulder shut and locked the door before going inside. He spotted X almost immediately and crossed to the booth he occupied. Wordlessly he slide in across from X. There was a beat of silence before X spoke.

"Did you do it?"

"Yes."

"Did everything go according to plan?"

"Yes. I got rid of him, although I must admit it took a great deal of self restraint for me not to punch the guy in the face."

"And you saw Agent Scully enter the house?"

"Yea, and I waited until her brother and sister came home before I left, just like a good little boy."

"Nice to see this hasn't effected your sense of humor Agent Mulder," X replied sarcastically. "Now when you're quite finished I think we can get out of here."

Both men stood and exited the diner in silence before crossing to the car, X on the driver's side. Once seated inside the car Mulder twisted to buckle his seat belt. As he did so he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck.

"Ouch!" He whirled back round to face X, who simply placed the keys in the ignition and started the car. "What the hell... was ... that... fo..." Mulder tried to speak but a wave of drowsiness hit him and he slumped back in his seat.

As his eyes closed and the drug began to take its effects he realized he'd never gotten a chance to ask X whether this would definitely have worked or not. And that was the last thing he thought, before he plunged into the depths of unconsciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

Slowly Mulder opened his eyes. His head was swimming and he felt very groggy. He blink a couple of times to clear his burred vision before taking in his surroundings. It was dark but he still had a pretty good idea where he was. He was in his own apartment, in his bedroom lying, fully clothed, on the bed.

He sat up slowly, his head throbbing like crazy. He felt like he'd just been on the world's biggest bender and was now going to suffer with one bitch of a hangover. Maybe that was all the previous days events had been, a concoction of his own mind, fueled by alcohol. Rubbing stiff neck to try and ease the tension his fingers ran across something.

A small puncture wound. So it hadn't been a dream. Turning his head, he focused on the red LCD display of his clock radio. It read 1:23 am. Suddenly a thought hit him which brought him rapidly to his feet. He dashed out of his bedroom, throwing on his shoes and grabbing his coat and keys on the way, before exiting his apartment.

There was something he had to check, and there was no way he was going to leave it till morning.

Pulling up in front of the apartment block he killed the engine and unbuckled his seat belt. But he stayed seated in the car. Was he prepared for this? For each possibility that could arise?

He wasn't sure, and suddenly a pang of apprehension hit him, but something inside him spurned him on and forced him out of the car and up the steps leading into the apartment building. His head swam with thoughts as he rode the elevator up to the floor. The doors pinged quietly as they opened, revealing a corridor lain out expectantly before him. He walked slowly along the corridor, only half aware of the elevator doors closing again.

He stopped when he reached the door and stared at it for a few moments before raising a hand and knocking softly on it. Nothing. He held his breath, waited a few more beats before knocking again. This time, he heard movement behind the door, and his breath caught sharply in his throat as he heard the lock being undone and the chain being pulled back. An eternity seemed to pass before he saw the handle of the door turn and the door swing open to reveal who was standing behind it.

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I know it's short again, but we're coming to the end of the story and I want to keep the suspense built up teehee. Thanks for all your reviews so far, but just because it's nearly over doesn't mean you can stop with the reviews lol.

Lily-Starbuck


	12. Chapter 12

Ok guys, this is my last post. I just want to take the opportunity to thank yall who have been reading my story and reviewing, and those of you who have been reading my story and not reviewing. I loved writing the story and getting to hear what people thought. I just hope you like the ending lol.

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Scully stood there, clad in her pyjamas and robe, leaning against the door jam with a puzzled expression on her face. And Mulder could barely contain his delight at seeing her again. He allowed a broad smile to cover his face, which received an even more confused look from Scully. Before he knew what he was doing he'd enveloped her in a hug, so happy she was standing there after he'd thought he'd never see her again. Shocked and even more confused by his actions, Scully hesitated slightly before returning his embrace slowly.

"Mulder what's wrong? You're acting like you haven't seen me in years! It's only been a day!" Mulder couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her last statement.

"I guess it just felt like a lot longer." Reluctantly he released her from the embrace and she took a step backwards, regarding him carefully.

"Is everything alright?"

"It is now," he replied with a smile, which she returned, shaking her head.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any weirder!" He laughed, he'd missed this so much, their familiar banter and teasing. He was so glad to have her back. "Do you want to come in?" He nodded and she withdrew to let him enter before closing the door behind him. She crossed the living room to her sofa and sat down on it. He followed.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, the thought suddenly striking him. She shook her head.

"No, I was up reading." She gestured toward the coffee table where a book sat open, face down. Mulder lent across her and picked it up, regarding the front cover. It was 'The House Of Mirth'. He recognized the book, but couldn't place it.

"You like it?"

"Yeah it's my favorite book, I love it," she replied and a strange feeling of deja vu swept over him. He'd had this conversation before, but where? Then he remembered. Portland, Maine. With that girl. Wait a sec, that girl was Scully. Realization dawned on him. Why hadn't he figured it out sooner? Scully's voice jolted him from his thoughts.

"Mulder? Are you sure you're ok? You're really quiet." She looked at him, concern evident on her face. He simply smiled.

"I'm fine, honest. Just had a bit of a weird day that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You'd never believe me."

"Since when has that stopped you?" she teased and he laughed softly. As he sat looking at her he saw that this was his chance to tell her how much she meant to him. It saddened him a little to think that it had taken her not being there, and the possibility that he would never see her again, for him to realize just how important she was to him.

He took a deep breath before he spoke, scooting a little closer to her on the couch.

"Actually Scully there is a reason I came here tonight. I've been doing quite a lot of thinking and there's something I really need to tell you."

"It couldn't wait till morning?" she joked but the serious expression he wore caused her smile to fade slightly. She sat in silence, allowing him to continue.

"I was thinking about you actually." Her eyebrows rose, registering her surprise but she stayed quiet and he continued. "About all the times I've come so close to losing you, what with your abduction, your cancer, the times they've split us up." Her face softened as he spoke. "Thinking about it all made me realize how much I need you, and just how impossible it is for me to imagine my life without you there in it, not just at work as my partner but also as my friend, my best friend actually. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Gently Scully took his hand in her own and squeezed it.

"You're not going to lose me Mulder. I'm not going anywhere." He dropped his gaze from her face to their hands, shaking his head.

"I don't know that for certain Scully and neither do you. If anything ever happened to you I think ... I know I'd die. And I would be dead by know if it weren't for you. I just need you to know... to understand how much you mean to me... and how I feel about you." His voice dropped slightly as he said the last part, and Scully looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion, her head titled to one side.

"I... I don't understand. What do you mean?" He moved a little closer to her and, with his free hand cupped the side of her face gently, running his thumb softly over her cheek.

"What I'm trying to say is... I love you."

She gasped softly, her eyes wide with shock. She was speechless. Wordlessly, Mulder lent in slowly until his lips touched hers. She hesitated for a second before returning his kiss. After a few moments they broke the kiss and Mulder couldn't help but smile slightly. Scully blushed a little and returned his smile as Mulder lent in and kissed her again, more passionately this time, wrapping his arms around her back. There was no way he was ever going to let her go again.

THE END.

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Come on, yall seriously didn't think this story was going to be anything other than MSR did you? Bless. Just hope you like it.

Oh, and incase yall have withdrawal symptoms from my fabulous cough writing now that "The Butterfly Effect" is finished, then yall can always read my other fics, "I Spy" and "Los Enemigos". Not that I'm fishing for readers or anything teehee

Lily  
-x-


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